Daily diagnostic information, such blood glucose, is typically obtained from a capillary blood sample with a lancing device and is then measured with a handheld blood glucose meter (hereinafter handheld device). To effectively manage the care and health of the patient, there is a need for the handheld device to communicate with other medical devices and systems. The other medical devices and systems, however, may use different communication protocols and interfaces (e.g., Bluetooth protocol, universal serial bus (USB) interface, etc.). Accordingly, there is a need for the handheld device to include multiple communication protocols and interfaces that enable the handheld device to communicate with the other medical devices and systems in a safe and secure manner.
Additionally, in order to communicate securely and reliably, the handheld device may need to establish a secure communication link between itself and the other medical devices and systems. Such a process may require a user (such as a patient with reduced visual acuity and/or technical skill) to follow a complex procedure that requires extensive user input. Additionally, in order for those other medical devices and systems to communicate between themselves securely and reliably, each device/system may need to establish a secure communication link between itself and the other medical devices and systems. To establish each such communication link, a user (such as a patient with reduced visual acuity and/or technical skill) may have to perform a complex procedure that requires extensive user input, which is inefficient subject to error. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of establishing a secure communication link between a handheld device and other medical devices/systems that is relatively simple and reduces the number and complexity of user inputs.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.